


A Once Dying Star

by Alena



Series: Share the Love Month [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, M/M, Science Fiction, share the love month
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 09:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2103624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alena/pseuds/Alena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Smoker is in search of the Elemental Orbs that are said to fulfill any of your wishes. He gets unexpected help from someone. But does that person really want to help him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Once Dying Star

**Author's Note:**

> For the Share the Love Month on tumblr day eight: SmoLaw
> 
> The theme is still The Elements. And hey, look, it’s actually in there *grins like an idiot*.  
> I have to say, when I went through the list of this nice event I wanted to pick a pairing whose characters I was familiar enough with to be able to write about them without re-reading too many OP chapters, but also one I had never really much considered in terms of a pairing.  
> Mind you, a few days before I had this really nice SmoLaw fanart on my tumblr dashboard so I immediately picked them. Conclusion? I think it’s a nice pairing. I love the art (damn so hot), but I’ll probably not really write about them again (voluntarily). Not because I dislike them as a pairing, but because for me it just doesn’t seem to work out.  
> That being said I wrote a 4k words long OS about them, so that gotta count for something, right! I always feel that once an OS passes a certain mark it would have been better as a multi-chapter fic, because I tend to leave out a lot and compress the story and idk. But it’s okay I suppose, because on the other hand with multi-chapter fics I tend to drag everything out a lot, which as the other extreme, is sometimes annoying as well I guess.
> 
> Well enough blabla. Enjoy the story. It’s an AU, science fiction with (not many) aliens and a plot revolving around some elements-stuff.

The bar was stinking of smoke, alcohol and the sweat of too many people crammed in a place that was way too small and way too poorly ventilated.

Well, Smoker had the habit of smoking two cigars at the same time at all times, himself, so he could not really complain about the smell of smoke. The rest, however, did bother him a little. This was not a location he would usually visit voluntarily, but since he had been told he could obtain the information he was looking for in here, he has had no other choice.

He sat down on one of the scarce free barstools and waved the bartender over. The man was all green and slimy, with purple, tentacle-like hair on top of his head, his hands and what could be called his feet looked pretty much the same. At least he fitted perfectly well into this sort of place.

“Hey.” Smoker greeted him gruffly, eying the alien suspiciously. “I was told I could find out something about the Elements in here.” He said, his voice low in an attempt to keep their conversation from being heard by too many other people.

The aliens eyes widened in surprise as he took in the question he had just been asked. But just a moment later he started to laugh loudly. It took him a moment to calm down and, wiping away a tear from his eyes with one of his tentacle-arms, he finally caught his breath and replied: “Been some time since I’ve heard someone ask ‘bout that. How old are you? You know those stories are just stories for children, right? Do you really believe they are true?” He laughed once more before he attempted to turn around to attend to a different customer.

Smoker however reached out quickly over the counter and grabbed the bartender by his collar and pulled him back.

He removed the cigars he had been smoking with his other free hand and growled at the alien dangerously. “Listen. They are real.”

The bartender lifted his tentacle-hands in defense and slightly shook his head. “Alright, whatever you want to believe. But I don’t have any information for you, so please let go of me, unless you want to get into trouble. We don’t tolerate violent behavior in here.” He said with an apologetic smile on his lips that looked more fake than anything.

Smoker let go of him anyway and got up from his chair almost instantly. This place was a waste of time and picking a fight here would not help him either. So it really was better if he just left and tried his luck somewhere else.

\---

Outside of the building he was just about to get the map out of his pocket to check where he should go next, when a voice coming from behind him interrupted him.

“Hey.”

Smoker turned around and raised an eyebrow at the person that was standing there. The rather slim man had human features and short, black hair. He wore a plain, black coat and an odd, white fur hat with black spots on it. In his hand he held a big, sheathed sword.

He must have followed him from inside the bar, Smoker concluded.

“Who are you?” Smoker asked him cautiously, his hand grabbed the hilt of his jitte that was strapped to his back almost automatically.

“My name is Trafalgar Law.” The man introduced himself. “I was sitting next to you in there.” He said, pointing back to the bar with a wink of his sword. “I could hear what you said.”

“So...?” Smoker looked at him questioningly. “Did you come out to make fun of me, as well?” The grip he had around his weapon intensified.

“No.” The man said. “I came to talk to you, because I, too believe in those stories.” There was a grin on his face as he spoke those words.

Smoker eyed him suspiciously, but after a moment he finally let go of his weapon and with a smile of his own said: “Alright. My name’s Smoker. But we shouldn’t talk here... my ship is close by though.”

Law nodded and so they silently made their way to Smokers ship.

Smoker’s ship was small and old, but neatly taken care of. Considering its age it did still look solid and good.

Once they were in the protection of the ship Smoker asked the other one: “How do you know about those stories?”

The man grinned. “A planet divided into four sections, each housing people that held the power of one of the four elements: fire, water, earth and wind. When they die they leave behind the core of their power: an orb containing the dense form of their element. If you collect one of each they’ll fulfill you one of your wishes. Who has not heard of that story? It’s a common story that is being told to children and it’s well liked, because, who doesn’t have wishes that seem unfulfillable?”

“That’s how far the stories go. But they are just stories. Why do you believe in them?”

“Why do you believe in them?” Law asked back sternly.

“Because I want to believe in them. There’s someone I need to bring back... she... did not deserve to die like that.”

Law cast his glance down and on the ring finger of Smoker’s right hand he spotted a simple golden ring. A wedding ring? So he was trying to bring back his dead wife? That was his wish?

“I’m going to help you.” Law suddenly decided.

Smoker looked up, confused. “How?”

Law rummaged in his bag for a moment before retrieving a small box from it that had beautiful, golden ornaments on it.

He opened it slowly and Smoker had to get a little closer to see what was inside. But when he realized what the object was, his eyes widened. “Is that...?” 

Inside the box lay a small, round object that was glowing brightly from fierce flames that seemed to be trapped inside of it.

Law smiled as he closed the box again and let it disappear in his bag again. “Yeah, a fire orb.”

“You are just carrying something like that around in your bag? And you are showing it to me, a complete stranger? What if I stole it from you?”

The statement made Law laugh. “I doubt you could. And I’ll help you get the three missing orbs, so I doubt it makes a difference if I showed you this one.”

“I never really believed they were real, after searching for them for so long without ever finding one... how did you get it?”

“It belonged to a friend of mine. It was his. It was what he left behind when he died.”

That took Smoker by surprise. “I’m sorry about that. I thought the people from that planet had all died a long time ago.”

“Not all of them are dead. But there are only a few left and they live in hiding, because they are usually being hunted and killed for their orbs.”

Smoker swallowed hard at the sudden prospect of finally being able to reach his goal. He could still not believe it. Why would this stranger decide to help him? Why would he show him the orb? Something was definitely fishy about this, but for now it might be the best idea to just go with this and try to make the best out of the situation.

“How are we going to find the rest?” He finally asked carefully.

“I know someone who has a water orb. She’s on a planet not far from here.” Law explained dryly.

“Are we just going to steal it from her?” Smoker did not like that idea. He wanted those orbs, of course, but he did not want to do anything that was unlawful.

“How else are we going to get it?” Law turned his head to look at the other man with eyes that seemed to pierce right through him.

“I don’t know. Pay for it?” Smoker returned weakly.

The thought made Law laugh. Paying for something that was practically invaluable? No wonder this man had never found a single one of those orbs by himself. But he left it at that. They could discuss how to get it once they located it.

Law went over to the main control panel of the ship and with skillful fingers entered the coordinates of the planet they had to go to.

“I have a friend who liked to collect old ships.” He explained when he caught Smokers confused look as to why he was so skillful with a ship that was not his own.

“I’ve learned a lot about different types from him.” Law concluded his explanation with a grin.

\---

“I still don’t understand why you are helping me.” Smoker admitted after the ship had started its flight in auto-pilot mode.

“I’m trying to find something.” Law replied vaguely.

“But not the orbs?”

“No, the orbs can’t help me with what I’m trying to find.”

Smoker did not understand. Those orbs were able to fulfill any wish. So how could it be that they couldn’t help him with what he was looking for? But he would probably just have to accept it like this now.

“Alright, tell me something about yourself.” Law suddenly said. They did have some time before they would reach the planet after all. “Are you a space cop or something? I mean that was definitely a rare reaction to me suggesting to steal something. Usually people just go with it and ignore their consciousness.”

Smoker could not help but wonder about the others wording. Did he do this often, talking to strangers and helping them with their business? Maybe he was going to lure him into some sort of trap and that fire orb was actually a fake. Maybe his informant had been into this as well and that was why he led him into that bar to meet Law?

“I actually used to be. But I retired some years ago.”

“Why?” Law continued his questioning.

“Someone close to me died and I found myself unable to get out of the depression that followed.”

“They person you want to bring back?”

“Yeah.” Smoker admitted.

“And hearing the story about those orbs made you hopeful again?”

“That’s how it was. And since then I’ve been searching to find out if it was true or not.”

“I see.” Law mused, his curiosity seemed to be sated by that for the moment as he did not ask any further questions.

\---

It did not take them long to reach their target planet and leaving the ship Law led Smoker into a town close to the place where they had landed.

“Are you sure it’s here?” Smoker asked him suspiciously after they had walked side-by-side for a little while.

“Completely sure. I’ve visited her a lot of times in the past.” The other one replied without looking at him.

“Wait.” Smoker said and at that Law turned around to look at him.

“What?” He asked with an annoyed tone to his voice.

“Is she a friend of yours? Are we going to steal from someone you know?” This situation really was weird. What the hell was going on here? What was this Law trying to achieve?

Law did not reply to that, only starred at Smoker for a second too long, but then turned around and pointed at one of the houses in front of them.

Inside the lights were turned on so they could easily see a woman with long, flowing blue hair inside that seemed to be preparing food or something. Except for the exotic hair color she looked pretty much human to him. Human and harmless.

“It’s in there?” Smoker asked, excitement had found its way into his voice. He stretched out his arm and it almost instantly dissolved into smoke. “Let’s get it.” There was a grin on his face before more of his body started to dissolve.

But in just that moment he could suddenly feel Law’s hard grip around his arm where it involuntarily turned back into his old, solid form.

“What’s your problem?!” Smoker complained as he was dragged back into the direction they had just come from by Law.

“I thought you were human.” The other one growled.

“My mother was, my father was.” Smoker gave back. “What does that have to do with anything?! It would have made sneaking in easier.”

They reached a deserted area of the town in no time.

“You can’t just steal it from her, idiot.” Law said, he was still agitated.

Smoker raised an eyebrow at the remark. “But that’s what you said we should do.”

“She’s one of them!” Law suddenly burst out. His hand had found its way to the hilt of his sword and he unsheathed it in a second. “You would need to kill her to get to your precious orb.” He spat out. “Is that something you are willing to do? Of course you are. You are all the same anyway, hunting us to fulfill your own selfish wishes. It doesn’t matter that you destroy other people’s lives for that. What’s a life worth as long as you get what you want after all, right?”

Smoker took a step back, his own hand had found its way to the jitte on his back. “Us?” He repeated what Law had just said. Was he one of them? Was that why he agreed to help him? To kill him for the murder of his people? Of course, it all made sense now. After all why else would he have one of the orbs and so willingly show it to him?

“I wasn’t going to kill her.” Smoker tried to calm the other one down.

“No?” Law laughed. “You were just going to walk away so close to your goal? Don’t make me laugh! That was never going to happen. You people are all the same.”

There was a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he raised his still free hand and said “Room.” Almost instantly a blue sphere extended from his hand and spread over the both of them.

“You know what the worst part about this is?” He asked. “All those stories about us are nothing but a lie. No matter how many orbs you collect, they will never fulfill any of your stupid wishes. ‘They are just harmless children stories’? Don’t make me laugh. Those stories destroyed my people and my planet. So many of my friends were killed over some stupid stories that did not even hold any truth to them. Those orbs are nothing but compressed elemental power. A fire orbs lets you create fire, a water orb allows you to create water. There is nothing else to it. They might be useful, but they aren’t worth killing people for! There are better technologies holding similar powers out there that do not cost human lives.”

Smokers eyes widened in shock, his hand let go of the jitte. “I had no idea...” The realization hit him like a punch in the face. If this was the truth then what had he spent his past few years doing? Hunting a lie?

“Mes.”

Smoker felt a sudden punch to his chest.

“Shambles.”

And the next thing he knew Law held a glass-like cube in his hand that contained a still-beating heart. Looking down his body he realized that the place where Law had just punched him – the area where his heart was meant to be – had a square shaped hole puncturing it. He fell to his knees almost instantly. Was that his heart in Law’s hand? But he did not really feel any pain. And how was he still alive when his heart was missing? Who the hell was this person do have such powers?

His next words came out strained as he spoke them. “I don’t get it, who are you? You said you were one of them? But these are not elemental powers.”

Law smiled as he examined the heart he held in his hand. “Your stories are wrong in so many ways it’s ridiculous how they were ever able to spread like that. You think there are just those for elements and that’s it? Think again, because there are two more. My name is Trafalgar Law and I am the Surgeon of Death. I received that name because my element is death itself, giving me powers that allow me to toy with the life of anyone that enters this space of mine.”

“Two more...?” Smoker couldn’t believe it, all the things he thought he knew were actually wrong? How could anything like that even exist? Death as an element? But if there was death, did that mean there was also...?

“You guess right. There’s life as well. But you would have never thought of that, right? One tiny orb was all you needed, the power you were seeking did actually exist, you just did not know of its true form. Bringing someone back from the dead is such a basic wish, but tell me, Smoker. How are you the one to decide which of two lives is worth more than the other? Killing one person to save another? Don’t be ridiculous. People like you should just all die already!” With those words he squeezed the heart he held in his hand, watching as the man before him collapsed in front of him, clutching his heart-missing chest with his hand.

“I’ve seen too many of my people die already, so I decided to use my powers to hunt those down that are seeking to kill us for their own selfish wishes. Too bad you had to run into me of all people, huh?” He loosened the grip around the heart a little, after all he did not want the man in front of him to simply die like that. He was supposed to feel at least some pain before he would give him into death’s comforting embrace.

“You said you wouldn’t have killed that woman, but in the end you would have done it anyway, right, to fulfill your own wish?” He glanced to Smokers ring and remembered the disgusted feeling he had been feeling even the first time he had seen it. “Has your dead wife more of a right to life than anyone else?”

Smoker looked up, there was blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and he still seemed to be in a great amount of pain. “You are wrong.” He brought out between clenched teeth. The ring he wore was not a wedding ring. It was a simple golden ring that had the name of someone completely else engraved on its inner side. Something that was supposed to help him to remember her at all times. “This isn’t about my wife, I was never married. But there was a woman when I was younger. We were foolish. She got pregnant. But she did not want to keep the baby. I convinced her to give birth to it anyway. And she did. Only it was all too much for her. She...” He coughed up another load of blood before he continued to speak, although more quietly this time. “She suffocated the baby with a pillow and then killed herself. It was already too late when I found them. I just thought... I wanted to give her a chance to at least live. The baby, of course. No the woman.”

Law was silent for a moment before finally saying: “That doesn’t change a thing.” But somehow it did. At least he suddenly felt less rage inside of him. But it did not change that Smoker had been willing to sacrifice other people for his wish.

“Law.” Smoker said quietly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know the truth. I foolishly believed in the stories I had heard. But I would never kill someone for my goal. If there is no way to bring her back then I’m going to accept it. I should have accepted it a long time ago already. I was a fool. I’m sorry.” He exhaled noisily, speaking this much was painful.

“But Law, if you kill me now, will that really make you feel better? I don’t really have any more purpose to live anymore anyway, so if it will make you feel better, then please go ahead and crush my heart right here and now.” He waited for a moment, but Law made no move to comply with his request.

“If you are not going to kill me, then let me help you. If it’s going to fill my life with a new purpose then I’d gladly fight to protect your people. But I’m not going to kill for your vengeance.” He made a small pause before adding. “And you shouldn’t either.”

“Tz.” Law seemed to be taken aback by the sudden suggestion. “Why should I trust you?”

Smoker pointed up to the cube that was still resting in Laws hand. “Keep my heart as a reassurance.”

\---

4 months later:

Law had just taken a shower in the hotel room he was staying in. Wrapping a towel around his hips he left the bathroom. His glance almost instantly wandered to the person that was currently sleeping on the only bed in the room.

‘Keep my heart.’ Smoker had told him and he had done just that. He had been tired of fighting alone. For just this once he had wanted to trust someone. And he had not been wrong with his decision. At least not so far.

He approached the man cautiously. Smoker’s chest was rising and falling calmly with every breath he took. And within Law’s hand Smokers heart was beating in the same calm rhythm after he had retrieved it from where he kept it. Maybe it was time to fully trust this man? It did not seem fair to keep his heart physically like this anymore. Not after everything that had happened.

He lightly traced his fingertips over the chest of the sleeping man. Then, with a calm movement, he placed the heart in his hands back into the perfectly fitting hole in Smokers chest.

Smoker awoke with a gasping sound, looking at Law in complete confusion. Then, a moment later, his fingers found their way to his chest, where he, for the first time in months, could feel his own heart beating beneath them.

“Why...?” Was all that he was able to say.

Law smiled at him calmly. “By now I already own your heart anyway, don’t I?” And with those words he leaned forward and lightly kissed the confused man in front of him on the lips.

Smoker smiled back into the kiss, his hand found its way to the back of Law’s head as he pulled him closer to intensify their kiss. And just in between kisses he finally brought out in a low whisper: “You do.”

\---

It was a while later that Law gave Smoker another gift he had been withholding all this time.

The object was small and round. Inside was a clear white smoke that was engulfed by azure blue and yellow flames.

“What is it?” Smoker asked, looking from the object to Law and back to the object in his hands.

“A life orb.” Law said quietly.

“A...?” Smoker’s eyes widened as he realized what that meant. “Y-you mean you had one all this time?!”

“Yes.” Law replied calmly. “You remember the fire orb I’ve told you about, right? It belonged to a good friend of mine, he was murdered though. We were only able to retrieve the orb of his. His lover... he was someone with a really rare power within him. The power of life itself. But he killed himself, writing a letter that told me to use his orb to bring the other one back.” He stopped for a moment, there was grief showing in his eyes.

“But I couldn’t. How could I bring him back to a world where his lover was dead? So I didn’t use it. Instead I kept the orbs save as they were the only prove of their existence. However... I want you to have it. To bring your daughter back and allow her to live the life you had always imagined for her.”

“Law... that’s...” Smoker did not know what to say. He had never imagined something like this to happen. When he agreed to help Law he had completely given up on the thought of never seeing her again.

“Is it really okay?” He asked quietly.

“Yeah.” The other one replied sadly. Fully well knowing that this would also mean that they would separate. Smoker would bring his daughter back and raise her. There was no place for him in that family.

Suddenly Smoker moved forward and wrapped his arms around the other man. “Thank you...!” He said, his voice full of happiness. “You will love her. She’ll be our beautiful daughter. She will finally be able to live happily.”

As he let go of Law once more he noticed the shocked and unsure look on the other one’s face and quickly apologized. “Ah- I... I’m sorry. Of course you wouldn’t want to stay with us I suppose...”

“No.” Law quickly interrupted him. He raised his head and smiled happily at the man before him. “I would gladly do that.” After all he never wanted to be alone anymore and he knew that like this, he could finally forget his grudge against the universe and be happy.

**Author's Note:**

> That’s it! Doesn’t that ending scream for some domestic stuff to follow?! Hah, no way. I’m not going to write it. Nope. I’d be more inclined to write Marco and Ace’s story. Yes, those fire and life orbs were hinting at them, if you haven’t noticed.
> 
> I also love the word ‘shambles’. Just saying. It sounds so nice, I don’t know.
> 
> Uhh, I said this before, but feel free to follow me on tumblr for any updates!  
> http://alenachen.tumblr.com
> 
> I’m sure I’ll update something soonish again. Probably with more oneshots or GotP.  
> I also haven’t said thank you for the comments to yesterday’s OS, so thank you so much!


End file.
